2017 - Books in Review

In 2017 I had an excellent reading year with 57 books read. Probably close to my best ever.


So a quick breakdown:

Non-fiction - 4
Teen - 7
Rural Romance (I can't get enough of this) - 42
General Fiction - 4

 So 2018 is here and I will aim again for 52 books - fingers crossed I get there - just so many other competing demands :)

Book: No Job for a Girl

Summary: Leah Jackson leaves behind everything familiar, taking a job as the resident safety advisor and nurse in a construction fly camp in the remote South Australian outback. Everyone has told her that it's no job for a girl, but this isn't the first time she's had to prove her mettle.
Project supervisor Alex McKinley is happy to be as far away from the city as he can get. Recently divorced, he's reassessing where he went wrong. Alex has nothing against women specifically. He'd just rather they weren't working on his construction site, sharing his office, invading his space.
In the close confines of the desert camp, anything can happen, and Leah soon finds herself the centre of attention - from bothersome bureaucrats to injured workers and hordes of isolated men. But it is one man in particular who pushes her to her limits ... in more ways than one.


What I thought: Ripped through this on holidays in a day.

Book: The House at the Bottom of the Hill

Summary: The mysterious death of her mother has left Charlotte Simmons on edge and off-balance for too long. The only way to move forward is to get answers, and those answers can only be found in one place. So Charlotte buys a Bed & Breakfast establishment in Swallows Falls, a small town in Australias Snowy Mountains, as a ploy to get close to the man who might have the answers. Shell jazz up the old place, flip it, get her answers, and be gone in two-months max. What she doesnt count on is opposition from the dogmatic and slightly eccentric members of the town council, and the hotshot owner of Kookaburras Bar & Grill and his two-hundred-squats-a-day physique whose mouth offers to act as mediator, but his eyes promise something so much more. Easy-going Daniel Bradford knows progress is slow in Swallows Fall. Hes finally about to put his plans into place to upgrade the hotel when a prim-and-proper, citified redhead blows into town, putting everyone on edge. The only way to contain the trouble shes about to cause is to contain her but he knows trouble when he sees it, and soon it becomes very clear that theres absolutely nothing containable about Charlotte, or the way he feels about her.


What I Thought: Enjoying this little series.

Book: Shadows of Hunters Ridge

Summary: Ebony Blakely has her life nearly exactly where she wants it. She's a country vet with a successful business in Hunters Ridge, a town that she loves, and has a close group of friends. The only thing missing is romance. Unfortunately, the man she wants treats her as a good friend, and no matter how much she tries to change that perception, he just won't get it.
Lee Dalton is an ex-cop with a chip on his shoulder about his past. He's determined to make a success of his building business  –  and keep his thoughts away from his best friend's sister, Ebony. But seeing Ebony every day as he works on her surgery renovation makes that almost impossible and soon their hidden feelings begin complicate their friendship.
When it becomes apparent Ebony's life is in danger, she is scared but determined not to run. But following an earlier encounter Lee knows what these monsters are capable of and is forced to use everything he's ever learnt as a policeman to keep her safe.
Because these monsters are serial killers, and they'll stop at nothing to claim their prize.


What I Thought: Got sucked in to this - enjoyed this second in the series and now off to read book 3. Bit far fetched but still enjoyable.

Book: Along Country Roads

Summary: Matilda Denver seeks the sanctuary of sleepy Moonstone Valley where she hopes to heal and make a fresh start. But her plans go awry when the vehicle breaks down and she’s stranded at the side of a deserted country road.
Ryan Hunter, after working himself into the ground at his interstate truck-driving job since his sister’s death, is making his last run before a well-earned month off. On the last stretch home, he happens across a beautiful woman and scraggy dog hitchhiking. It’s not long before he connects Matilda’s bruises to her past and what she’s on the run from. He instinctively wants to protect Matilda and offers her a place to stay at his property, Heartsong.
Although both battling their own demons, they start to discover how much they have in common – and soon they’re also battling the strong desire to fall hard for each other. But when Ryan tries to help by organising for the four-wheel drive to be fixed, he unwittingly gives away Matilda’s location and now her life may be on the line. Can Ryan find her before it’s too late?


What I Thought: Really enjoyed this as a work of fiction but it could've dug deeper to deal more with domestic violence - surface level only really.

Book: Finding Jennifer Jones

Summary: The long-awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed LOOKING FOR JJ. Kate Rickman seems just like any other nineteen-year-old girl. She goes to university, she dates nice, normal boys and she works in her local tourist office at the weekend. But Kate's not really normal at all. 'Kate' is in fact a carefully constructed facade for a girl called Jennifer Jones - and it's a facade that's crumbling fast. Jennifer has spent the last nine years frantically trying to escape from her horrifying past. Increasingly desperate, Jennifer decides to do something drastic. She contacts the only other girl who might understand what she's dealing with, breaking every rule of her parole along the way. Lucy Bussell is the last person Jennifer expects any sympathy from, but she's also the last person she has left.

What I Thought: I was hesitant to read this after the thinking the first book was brilliant but this didn't disappoint. Still had me gripped. A powerful book.

Book: The Greatest Gift

Summary: Radio host Harper Drummond lives for her glamorous career. Every day she meets fascinating people doing extraordinary things, but has begun to wonder whether there’s something more for her out there. She’s financially secure, happily married and loves her job — what more could she want from life? An interview with a childless couple prompts Harper to think about whether she could make a contribution. She and her husband, Samuel, know they don’t want a child in their lives, but could she help someone else become a mother?


The childhood cancer that left Claire Beggs infertile doesn’t matter to her husband, Jasper. He loves her unreservedly, and they are passionate about their thriving hot air balloon business in the Hunter Valley. Despite their contentment, Claire is desperate to have a child — she knows Jasper would be a brilliant father and doesn’t want him to regret choosing her over a family in the years to come. An egg donor seems to be Claire and Jasper’s only chance of a happy family.


Can they find someone who will give them the greatest gift?


What I Thought: Wow - what a book. Brilliantly written. So moving and so so sad. Not sure I agree that this would happen in reality but it is fiction after all! A really fab read.

Book: Australian Midwives

Summary: Sweet, funny and sometimes sad, these stories share what it is to be an Australian midwife in remote areas where resources are limited. A moving and celebratory collection of tales that brings you close to the drama and wonder of birth.


What I Thought: Always enjoy these short non-fiction stories. Read over a few months. We are so lucky to have the services we do where I live and it's amazing how these remote nurses work. 

Book: Critical Condition

Summary: After years working as a paramedic in Sydney and living the bachelor life, Liam has had enough. He’s convinced himself, and everyone else, that he’s moved home to Birrangulla for a slower pace of life, but what he’s really looking for is the woman of his dreams.
From the outside, emergency nurse Poppy McDonald lives a charmed life. Unfortunately, when she moved to the other side of the world to escape her family, all she did was swap one controlling environment for another. After Poppy’s father dies, she returns to Australia to face her past. And her mother. But she has no intention of staying, and definitely not in Birrangulla.
When Liam and Poppy meet, there’s an instant spark. Liam knows Poppy is the one even though she’s carrying more than her share of baggage. But can he gain her trust and get her to look beyond her past? Or will the man Poppy left in the US return and ruin everything?




What I Thought: Loved revisiting these characters. really enjoyed it. A shame the series is over.

Book: A Place to Stay

Summary:  Rachel Meade is a woman with a past she wants to escape from. Finding herself in Mt Maria, a remote outback town in Western Australia, she thinks she’s found a place to stay.
Before she knows it, Rachel is corralled into helping with the Tidy Town competition by the Dramatic Society widows who have a tendency to gossip and take charge. It’s not in her plan, but she finds herself allowing friendships to develop. She’s even more surprised by her growing attraction to the town’s engaging senior police officer.


Ex-detective Senior Sergeant Luke Weston knows anything and everything happens in the country, and he’s seen it all—stolen chickens, pub fights and alleged cheating for the Tidy Town competition are only some of puzzles Mt Maria offers Luke. He’s been playing for Rachel, thinking maybe she’s the one. Then he gets news that the Crime Squad are looking for her, and he’s ordered to get close and stay close. Is Rachael in trouble, or is she the trouble? Luke is fighting his attraction to a woman he might have to take into custody, and it looks like he’s going to be arresting more than one person before the end of the week.  Luke needs to restore peace in his corner of the outback, but he knows he’s not going to get out of this without getting his heart busted.


With her past catching up with her, Rachael has to decide whether it’s time to cut and run again, or whether this time she’s found the person—and the place—to finally heal her heart. 


What I Thought: Loved this - excited that there is a second in the series coming soon!

Book: Ridgeview Station

Summary: Many of Peter and Kelsie Dalton's friends thought they were crazy when they bought Ridgeview Station. But five years on, their hard work, help from Kelsie's parents, and record rainfall have them in high spirits as the summer muster approaches.  Realising they're going to need more help this season, Peter rings around the neighbouring stations to try and find a good worker. After a glowing recommendation, Alexi arrives to give them a hand - and is not at all what they'd expected ... Everything is going smoothly with the muster before disaster strikes and the Dalton's find themselves battling to save their livestock, their property and their lives.




What I Thought: Loved it - another new author added to my rural reading list!

Book: Hate is Such a Strong Word

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Sophie hates Monday mornings, socks worn with sandals, and having to strategise like she's a battle sergeant every time she asks her parents if she can go out. But she especially hates being stereotyped because she's Lebanese. When New Guy, Shehadie Goldsmith, is alienated at her Lebanese school because his dad's Australian, she hates the way it makes her feel. Like she's just as prejudiced as everyone else. Like she could make a difference if she stopped pretending she's invisible. Like the attraction between them might be too strong to fight... But hate is such a strong word... Can Sophie find the strength to speak out - even if it means going against everything she's been brought up to believe?


What I Thought: Very well written - thoroughly enjoyed this teen coming of age story.

Book: Lockie Leonard: Legend

Summary: Lockie's survived his first year of high school, settling into a new town and his first mad love affair - it's all behind him; he made it! But the world of weirdness hasn't finished with him yet. His little brother's hormones have kicked in, his baby sister refuses to walk or talk - but eats anything in sight - his Dad arrests a sheep and his Mum seems to have checked out of the here and now. As Lockie's world turns upside down, he learns that life is never as simple as it seems and along the way finds out a lot more about himself than he ever realised was there.


What I Thought: Absolutely loved this. Such a brilliant writer and coming of age series.

Book: Brothers of Brigadier Station

Summary: She came to the outback to marry the love of her life. She just didn't expect him to be her fiancé's younger brother.

When Meghan Flanagan, a vet-nurse from Townsville, moves to Brigadier Station in outback Queensland to marry the man of her dreams, she is shocked to discover that perhaps her fiancé isn’t the man she wants waiting for her at the altar. The man she's destined to marry, just might be his younger brother.

Cautious of women after a disastrous past relationship, Darcy is happy living on his beloved cattle station, spending his spare time riding horses, going to rodeos and campdrafting. He didn't expect the perfect woman to show up on his doorstep. Engaged to his brother.

With the wedding only hours away, Meghan must make the decision of a lifetime. But, her betrayal could tear the family apart. She knows all too well the pain of losing loved ones and being alone.

Now that she has the family she so desperately wants; will she risk losing it all?




What I Thought: Loved this - great storyline. Looking forward to more in the series.

Book: Santa and the Saddler

Summary: Windmill fabricator Danny Burroughs doesn’t have time to wait in line at the local saddler—no matter how pretty the girl behind the counter—he’s juggling two jobs as it is. But his little sister has her heart set on a unique piece of saddlery for Christmas and he can’t let her down.
Expert saddler Beth Wells has no idea that when she comes to small town Levenham to look after her grandfather’s shop she’ll be swamped with customers. Overrun by day, Beth is forced to work late into the night on Christmas orders. The last thing she needs is another.
When super-cute Danny arrives at the saddlery after midnight wearing a Santa suit, a broad grin and pleading she make his sister’s present, Beth makes a deal—she will take the order in exchange for Danny’s help. Except this flirty Santa’s idea of helping involves more than stacking shelves, and in the confines of the saddlery their smouldering attraction soon becomes a blaze. But no matter how hopelessly drawn she is, Beth has a job interstate and a mum who needs her. Anything more than friendship is pointless.
Will these two chance-met strangers find the courage to gamble on their love? Or will the girl Danny’s been looking for all his life leave nothing behind but a sweet Christmas memory?




What I Thought: A nice quick easy read. Devoured in an arvo! Enjoyed it.

Book: Storms Over Blackpeak

Summary: In the shadow of Black Peak, Carr Fergusson's grand old homestead is in need of a housekeeper. When shy, city-bred Cally Jones arrives at Glencairn Station to take the reins, she discovers not only a new way of life, but a house packed to the rafters with romantic intrigue.
Carr's son, Ash, has finally seen fit to return to the family farm, and it's not just Cally's head he's turning. But what has really brought Ash home? And what ghosts lurk in his past? Is Cally the girl to heal his heart, or will her own heart be broken?
Just up the hall, beautiful, independent Ella Harrington is playing with fire as she tries to juggle the demands of her new career with her love for her gorgeous bad-boy boyfriend. Where will the sparks fall? And who will get burnt?
Meanwhile, intent on everyone else’s problems, will Ella’s mother, Lizzie, be too slow to see the clouds looming over her own horizon? Can Lizzie’s relationship with the newfound love of her life weather the coming storms, or will the differences between them tear them apart?


What I Thought: Enjoyed this book and revisiting characters. A bit slow paced for me though.

Book: Outback Governess

Summary: Family cattle station near Hughenden, seeks an experienced Teacher or Governess for our 3 grandchildren. The outgoing, energetic children are aged 9, 6 and 4. The six-year-old also has mild autism - high functioning but needs extra support and tutelage. Education is delivered via online lessons through School of the Air. You will need to be energetic, self-motivated and have the ability to remain calm in stressful situations. You will be a role model for the children. Someone who can challenge and inspire, as well as encourage their development of a lifelong love of learning. Great wage and conditions for the right person.

When special-needs teacher Paige, takes up the position of Governess for three young children in the Queensland outback, she has no idea just how much and how quickly she would come to love the dusty, dry country, and the family who desperately need her.

Logan was heartbroken when his wife died, leaving him to raise their three children with the help of his aging parents on their remote cattle station. To avoid the constant reminder of the love he lost, he works on a mine in Mt Isa, meaning he only sees his family week on, week off.

But then tragedy strikes and Paige and Logan are forced to work together to look after the children, alone on the station. As well as being their teacher, Paige also becomes a substitute mother and teaches Logan how to be a parent again. A role he has avoided since losing his wife.

Can Paige bring the family back together or have the wounds of the past cut too deep?




What I Thought: Got this as an ARC. Due for release next week. Absolutely loved it. Hooked from page one and devoured in a few hours.

Book: Second Time Sweeter

Summary: Ten years ago, Genevieve Jenkins let the Love of her Life ride out of town while she settled for The Safe Bet. Turns out Mr Safe Bet wasn’t so safe after all, and life in her small home town of Sweet Pocket got kind of sour. The last thing she needs on top of two kids, a sick mother, a deadbeat ex and a heap of bad debt is for Mr Love of her Life to ride back into town, successful, smart, devastatingly sexy, and all the things that she can no longer be.
And it doesn’t help that she’s dressed as cheese.
One-time-bad-boy-now-Crop-King Brodie Brown is back in town on a mission of mercy, but he’s keeping his guard up.  He can’t let this town – or the girl who broke his heart ten years before – get under his skin.  He’s seen what working the land can do to people, and he built his business, and a whole new life, in the big smoke far away from the pain and despair of a farmer’s life. But he loved this town and he loves the people, so when Sweet Pocket calls, he answers. That’s just the way it is.
But it’s only temporary and it’s only business. Brodie learned long ago that there is nothing left for him in Sweet Pocket but a broken heart and lost dreams. When the town’s future is secure, he’ll ride away again – back to his life and his future, and away from the girl who could make both worthwhile.




What I Thought: A sweet little romance - easy read.

Book: Lockie Leonard - Scumbuster

Summary: Nothing's easy for Lockie Leonard. Dumped by his girlfriend, he's back to being the loneliest kid in town and life looks bleak. That is until he meets Egg - who might be the weirdest human being he's ever met. On top of all that, Lockie decides to save the planet; at least the bit of it he lives on. Then he falls in love again, which would be OK except she's younger and surfs better. Can a thirteen-year-old surfrat have a headbanger for a best mate? Will he save the town from vile pollution? Will his love outlast the school term? Another gnarly situation for Lockie Leonard, Scumbuster!


What I Thought: Loved it! So well written. I can see why it was so successful.

Book: Lockie Leonard - Human Torpedo

Summary: Lockie Leonard, hot surf-rat, is in love. The human torpedo is barely settled into his new school, and already he's got a girl on his mind. And not just any girl: it has to be Vicki Streeton, the smartest, prettiest, richest girl in the class. But what chance have you got when your dad's a cop, your mum's a frighteningly understanding parent, your brother wets the bed and the teachers take an instant dislike to you and then you fall in love at twelve-and-three-quarter years old? It can only mean trouble, worry, mega-embarrassment and some wild, wild times.


What I Thought: What a writer. Just brilliant. Have been meaning to read these for years. So glad I did.

Book: Down the Dirt Roads

Summary: Country girl and bestselling novelist Rachael Treasure seemed to have it all, a long-dreamed-of lifestyle on her own patch of dirt in Tasmania's rugged and beautiful wilderness. But through the breakdown of her marriage, Rachael lost her family farm and, in her words, lost her way in life. Discovering an all-new compass to live by, she took her two kids and her dogs and left the beaten path. Mass production, intensive farming, men on the land and women in the home - everywhere Rachael looked she saw ongoing harm to the soil and the foodchain. By going down the dirt roads and getting back to grassroots, she discovered another set of stories about country life in Australia, and a different way to live on the land. From her rebel granny to pioneering farmers and passionate animal handlers, Rachael became inspired by fresh ways to do things.


What I Thought: ooh - it just didn't do it for me. I felt it was so judgmental and felt lectured to. Very tough situation and I hope this book helps her deal with the loss of her farm etc. (I can't believe they let her ex stay and not her) but I am looking forward to getting back into her juicy fiction novels.

Book: A Chance of Stormy Weather

Summary: Self-reliant Sydney girl, Paula, is looking forward to a new life in the country. Just married to sheep farmer Dan Woodcroft she can’t wait to escape her protective family and exchange her busy existence for a new life down on the farm in rural South Australia.
But life on the farm proves rather different to what she was expecting. Why does everyone talk about the weather all the time? Why does no one seem worried by the mice plague? And how is she supposed to feed all those shearers?
With Dan’s brusque Aunt Rowena to contend with, his gorgeous ex-girlfriend showing up with a grudge, and communication between her and Dan breaking down, Paula begins to question whether she can cope — is the life of a farmer’s wife is really for her? Forecast: stormy weather.


What I Thought: Really enjoyed this although I found the character a bit weak to begin with but she grew on me. Looking forward to the second in the series now.

Book: Lake Hill

Summary: All her life Julia Gunn has been weighed down - first by a controlling father, then by a staid older husband, and always by a long-buried secret from her teenage years.
Now, widowed at just thirty-six, she’s going to do something for herself.
Except en route to a new life on the coast at Lakes Entrance she finds herself - courtesy of a rockslide - stuck in the remote mountain town of Lake Grace.
Yet maybe fate is on her side. Because Lake Grace is home to Rick Halloran – ex-rodeo king, sculptor and grazier - and the man with whom she enjoyed a brief, unforgettable romance twenty years ago.
Not only that, but Julia has dreamed of running her own café, and she’s just spotted a For Sale sign outside the prettiest little tea-room by the lake . . .
Julia is finally on the verge of the life she's always wanted.
Then her long-buried secret knocks at the door . . .


What I Thought: Loved it! I was holidaying in the area it was based on so that helps brings a certain magic to a book too.

Book: Under the Flame Tree

Summary: When Kirra leaves school to begin her first job on the station where she grew up, she is unimpressed to find herself partnered with a new employee who will barely speak to her. Daniel is undeniably cute, but he has a serious attitude problem and a mysterious past - there are whispers that he's fresh out of juvenile detention, but no one will tell her why. Daniel gradually thaws and reveals his secrets and Kirra starts to see beyond the moodiness to a boy she can believe in. But others remain wary of him, and her best friend warns her to stay clear. Kirra has some decisions to make. Is Daniel worth fighting for? Or should she walk away?

What I Thought: Really enjoying this author's teen books. It was like a teen rural romance! Ha ha

Book: Life as I Know It

Summary: Michelle Payne rode into history as the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. She and her 100-to-1 local horse Prince of Penzance took the international racing world by surprise but hers was no overnight success story. Michelle was first put on a horse aged four. At five years old her dream was to ride in the Melbourne Cup and win it. By seven she was doing track work.

All of the ten Payne children learned to ride racehorses but Michelle has stayed the distance. She has ridden the miles, done the dawn training, fallen badly and each time got back on the horse. So when she declared that anyone who said women couldn't compete in the industry could 'get stuffed', the nation stood up and cheered.

What I Thought: I really enjoyed this. She went to my kids school and I drive past her dad's place all the time so it was definitely a "Ballarat" book which makes it relatable. She was a bit blunt at times though...

Book: Gossip Girl - Would I lie to you?

Summary: Blair and Nate reunite just as Serena realizes she's in love with him. Dan starts an experimental literary salon and thinks he's gay after making out with his male co-worker. 

What I Thought: I had read the first 9 of these eons ago and really want to finish them before watching the TV show. This one was pretty bad... but I'm still compelled to read the final couple of books!

Book: Daintree

Summary: The Daintree breeds survivors, those who can weather the storms, heat and floods that come hand-in-hand with its beauty. Doctor Emma Porter is one such survivor, dedicated to her patients and to preserving this precious land where she has made a home.

Emma's quiet life is disrupted when Doctor Jeremy Langford starts working at the hospital, bringing back painful memories: Jeremy was her first love and embodies all that she left behind in Sydney. Jeremy has demons of his own, however, and the tight-knit community of Dalrymple seems to promise the peace he has been looking for.

But while some come to the Daintree to find shelter, others are here to exploit the rainforest's riches. And they will stop at nothing to get their hands on its bounty.


What I Thought: Hooked! Loved it and am now itching to visit FNQ!

Book: Third Time Lucky

Summary: After a disastrous marriage, December Doyle has returned to her home town to try to pick up the pieces of her life and start again. She’s also intent on helping breathe new life into the Christmas Creek township, so the last thing she needs is trouble.

Bad boy Seth Hunter has also returned to Christmas Creek, and trouble is his middle name. Wrongly convicted of a serious crime in his youth, Seth is now a successful businessman, but he’s intent on settling some old scores.

As teenagers, December and Seth were madly in love, and seeing each other again reawakens past feelings. But will Seth be able to overcome his destructive anger about the past, and can December conquer her fear of heartbreak to make their relationship third time lucky?




What I Thought: Loved this - even though I had read the novella version of this story this sucked me in and I was hooked.

Book: Standing Strong

Summary: Former city girl Jacqueline Havelock, Wattle Creek’s newly arrived psychologist, has settled in to country life and is slowly coming to terms with the town’s quirky ways. Farmer Damien McAllister’s plans with his animal welfare venture are falling into place nicely and it finally feels like he has a future to look forward to.


But everything can change as quickly as the fickle weather – and it does. A fire challenges the community and soon Damien and Jacqueline find themselves in a situation neither had anticipated. But is their growing relationship also under threat?


Although the town comes out in support of their newest resident, is the Wattle Creek community strong enough to stand together and win this David and Goliath battle? And could happily-ever-after still be possible for Damien and Jacqueline?


What I Thought: Loved this - not sure if it's realistic or not but a great read.

Book: Dear Banjo

Summary: They were best friends who were never meant to fall in love – but for one of them, it was already way too late.

Willow ‘Banjo’ Paterson and Tom Forrest were raised on neighbouring cattle stations in the heart of the Kimberley. As young adults, sharing the same life dreams, something came between them that Willow cannot forget. Now ten years have passed since she's even spoken to Tom.

When her father falls ill, Willow is called home to take over the running of the family property, Paterson Downs. Her vision for a sustainable, organic cattle station is proving hard to achieve. She needs Tom’s help, but is it too late, and all too complicated, to make amends?

Tom’s heartfelt, decade-old letters remain unopened and unmentioned between them, and Willow must find the courage to finally read them. Their tattered pages reveal a love story like no other – and one you’ll never forget.

What I Thought: Loved this! Kick started my reading mojo again. Another new author on the list!

Book: Wild Lands

Summary: New South Wales, 1837, and settlers in search of fertile country are venturing far outside the colony. Literally cutting a swathe through the bush with their bare hands, they lay claim to territory beyond government jurisdiction – and the reach of the law.


As she accepts a position on one such farm, seventeen-year-old Kate Carter is unaware she is entering a land of outlaws, adventurers and murderous natives. Because the first people of this new world will no longer accept the white man’s advance, and retaliatory attacks on both sides have made it a frontier on the brink of war.


Into Kate’s path comes Bronzewing, a young white man schooled by a settler family yet raised within an Aboriginal tribe. Caught between two worlds, Bronzewing strives to protect his adopted people and their vanishing civilisation. But as he and Kate will discover, ‘beyond the outer limits’ is a beautiful yet terrifying place, where it’s impossible to know who is friend and who is enemy . . .




What I Thought: I did enjoy this but it was a big build up to any "action".

Book: Walking the Line

Summary: Country-loving Dallas Armstrong is a hard-as-nails bull rider, who dreams of becoming Australian champion, just like his father, Mick, was. But when he discovers a shocking secret about his father on the same day Mick dies in a car accident, Dallas’s world is turned upside down. Now it’s up to him to protect his mother from the truth, and to keep the family farm Rollingstone Ridge afloat. And he will do everything in his power to do so.

Charlize Dawson is a successful city journalist whose marriage is in tatters. Begrudgingly sent to the country to write about Dallas, she is surprised to find that he isn’t the arrogant cowboy she’d assumed he’d be. Instead she and Dallas and share an intense chemistry and deep connection that lead to a stolen kiss at the Rodeo Ball.


But when Charlize’s research for her article puts her on the path of uncovering Dallas’s secret, he demands she stop or lose him forever. Dallas or her career, which should she choose? How can she turn her back on the people who have welcomed her into their lives with open arms, all in the name of her job? Her career is all she has left, and she has worked so very hard to be where she is. But how can she reveal what she knows, if it means losing the love of her life?

What I Thought: Enjoyed this - easy rural romance.

Book: The Long Paddock

Summary: Country-girl Cressida Knight fills her days with her farm, a mischievous pet bull called Reggie and her volunteer emergency services work. The busier she keeps, the less she thinks about the cowboy who left her behind. She’s convinced the small-town Woodlea grapevine that she’s moved on, but now it’s time to move on for real. 

Champion bull rider Denham Rigby shares Cressy’s deep love for the land and all he’s ever wanted was to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Cressy through life. But three years ago a dark family secret left him no choice but to run. Now family duty gives him no choice but to return to the bush.
What Denham hasn’t come home to do is to hurt Cressy by rekindling their relationship. He’s nothing but a liability and the beautiful, self-reliant cowgirl has to stay off limits. But when faced with Cressy’s desperation to save her drought-stricken farm, he can’t keep his distance. He joins her out droving on the long paddock. Then when Woodlea is hit by more than just rodeo fever, they are further thrown together and Denham loses the battle to lock down his emotions.
But has he left it too late to stop running? And will the woman he’s always loved be prepared to risk her heart for a second time?

What I Thought: Loved this although there could have been more about the long paddock! 

Book: Operation White Christmas

Summary: Hollie Douglas has dreamed of a White Christmas ever since she was a child, but her dream implodes when her fiancé breaks her heart two months before their big day. Convinced by her best friend to go ahead with her planned honeymoon anyway, Hollie doesn't expect to find herself stuck in a snowstorm in rural Canada two days before Christmas.

What I Thought: A lovely sweet Christmas romance xxx

Book: Trouble

Summary: When the entire high school finds out that Hannah Shepard is pregnant via her ex-best friend, she has a full-on meltdown in her backyard. The one witness (besides the rest of the world): Aaron Tyler, a transfer student and the only boy who doesn’t seem to want to get into Hannah’s pants. Confused and scared, Hannah needs someone to be on her side. Wishing to make up for his own past mistakes, Aaron does the unthinkable and offers to pretend to be the father of Hannah’s unborn baby. Even more unbelievable, Hannah hears herself saying “yes.”

What I Thought: A brilliant teenage read - this author is fantastic. It's the second one I've read but I'll be hunting out more.

Book: Life Support

Summary: A piece of you will always be left at home. When emergency nurse Emma Chirnside's husband dies unexpectedly, she finds herself tangled in lies and secrets. The last thing she expected to receive from him was a heritage-listed mansion in her home town of Birrangulla, but with her in-laws causing chaos, she flees to the country, hoping to rebuild her life. Fleeing, it turns out, creates new complications. The estate manager is none other than her teenage crush Tom Henderson. Tom hasn't thought about Emma since high school. They'd always been friendly - like Emma, Tom knows how it feels to care for a sick mother from a young age - but as far as Tom was aware, they were nothing more than friends. He had no idea of Emma's feelings for him, or the way he'd once broken her heart. When their worlds collide again, Emma realizes the depth of her feelings for Tom, and wonders if she's been given another chance to find true love. But Tom has demons of his own. Will Tom's secrets drive them apart and break her heart again? Or will they both get their happy-ever-after?




What I Thought: I'm loving this author and the rural medial romance elements. A nice read.

Book: 12 days at Silver Bells house

Summary: Kate Singleton has twelve days to find herself. With Christmas Day and her thirtieth birthday approaching, the best thing a city-chic fashion designer who no longer has a raison d’etre can do is nullify herself in the country. With Chardonnay.

When trouble strikes, the country presents her with Jamie Knight — a gallant but uncommunicative He-Man who drives an excavator and arrives to rescue Kate, her shoes and her case of Chardonnay from a boggy field.
The adventure should be over — nothing but a good story to tell to her friends in the city — but her saviour turns out to also be an unexpected roommate, the new owner of Silver Bells House, Kate’s holiday home.
Forced together and dragged into the community Christmas spirit of the town, Kate and Jamie flounder their way through mistletoe, kissing games, carolling choirs, and a bone-deep yearning for community and acceptance.
Can the enchanting Silver Bells House and the holidays bind them together? Or will love get lost on Highway B23 back to the city?

What I Thought: Nice quick rural romance - loved it!

Book: Hillsborough Voices

Summary: On 15 April 1989, the world witnessed one of the worst football disasters in history occur at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield. 96 people were crushed to death and another 766 injured in a tragedy that was later admitted to have been exacerbated by police failures.

Hillsborough Voices does justice to the memory of all those who died and for all those left behind. From the tragic events of the day to what unfolded in the hours, days and eventually years that followed, the book will interweave the voices of those who were there with the families and friends of those who died, and all those who have played key roles in the long search for the truth.
The author, Kevin Sampson, has a long history with Hillsborough. Not only was he there as a fan to witness the horror first-hand, he also helped organise the Hillsborough benefit concert at Anfield and has close connections with the justice campaign. He has conducted exhaustive and exclusive interviews both with people who have become familiar public figures and those who will be telling their heart-rending personal stories for the first time – to bring us the full story.

What I Thought: Wow - just heart breaking. Had to keep putting it down as it was so harrowing. I knew a lot of the story already but it made it angry and sad. A great read.

Bookgroup book: Shanghai Tango

Summary: This unusual memoir describes how China's foremost male ballet dancer (and colonel in the People's Army) underwent one of China's first sex-change operations and became the Shanghai Ballet's prima ballerina.


What I Thought: Just didn't do it for me. Didn't believe most of what I read and the guy/girl was just so self-centred it did my head in!

Book: Country Roads

Summary: Rebecca Duprey is working day and night to keep the family sheep station, Bluestone Ridge, afloat. But Bec's father, who's been in a wheelchair since a farming mishap, keeps second-guessing her decisions. Now, to add Bec's woes, her unfaithful ex-boyfriend has started lurking around, and the adjoining farm she'd hoped to buy has been snapped up by a guy from the city called Matt Harvey.

After leaving his job in advertising, Matt became a bestselling novelist. But since the death of his fiancee in a car accident, he's had severe writer's block and is desperately hoping his move to the country will help him deal with his grief and allow him to focus on completing his next book. Problem is, he seems to have started off on the wrong foot with his new neighbour, Bec Duprey.

Bec isn't quite sure when she started feeling attracted to Matt, but she's determined not to succumb to his charms. And Matt isn't sure when his feelings changed about Bec; all he knows is he can't get her out of his mind. Can Bec and Matt overcome their fear of loss to find love and happiness with each other...?


What I Thought: Absolutely loved - bring on book #2! I love that it is set like an hour from home!

Book: Northern Heat

Summary: In steamy northern Queensland, Conor is rebuilding his shattered life. Working at Cooktown's youth centre has given him the chance to make a difference again, and the opportunity to flirt with Dr Kristy Dark. The local GP is hiding her own secrets and struggling to raise her feisty teenage daughter alone.
When a severe cyclone menaces the coast, threatening to destroy everything in its path, tensions come to a head – and the weather is not the only danger. Cut off from the world and with her life on the line, Kristy will have to summon her courage and place her trust in Conor, or they'll both lose someone they love.


What I Thought: Really enjoyed this although way too far fetched

Book: Heart of the Sky

Summary: A year after a tragic accident changed her life forever, Tess Daley is in desperate need of a change. When she is offered a position with the Flying Doctor Service, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start. Yet once she arrives in remote Mica Ridge she feels like an outsider, unable to connect with her patients and unsure if she'll ever fit in with this outback community.

Station owner Soretta Byrnes has grown to love the company and chaos that comes with living in a house filled with boarders. So with tenants moving out and bills piling up, it's a welcome relief to have Tess and new pilot Charlie Fennes arriving in town and looking for somewhere to stay.
As they share life's triumphs and challenges, it isn't long before everyone at the station feels like family. But Charlie has yet to reveal his motive for coming to Mica Ridge and his secret will change the life of someone in the house forever ...

What I Thought: A nice easy read - loved it. 

Book: Secret Years

Summary: When Lucy Hunter stumbles upon her grandfather's World War II memorabilia, she finds a faded photograph of a stunning young woman known simply as 'George' and a series of heartfelt letters. They are clues about the secret years, a period of Lucy's family history that has been kept a mystery . . . until now.
How did a cattleman from north Queensland find forbidden love with the Honourable Georgina Lenton of London? And why are the effects of this encounter still reverberating in the lives of Lucy and her mother, Rose, all these years on?


What I Thought: Loved this rural romance and the historical elements too.

Bookgroup: Gone Girl

Summary: There are two sides to every story. The Gone Girl is a chilling story in which Nick wakes up to find his wife of 5 years missing, Nick is immediately accused of her disappearance but Nick denies all of it, so where is his beautiful wife?


What I Thought: So much hype around this and I enjoyed the book - but didn't love it. It hooked me from the start but I got kind of bored in the middle then it got me in the end again. Ooh so nasty and a great twist. Contemplating watching the movie now...

Book: The Crossroads

Summary: One family. Three women. Will the lies they tell and the secrets they hide lead to more heartache, or will fate bring them together before it's too late?

Rosie O'Shea dreams of seeing the world. But right now, the outback hotel she inherited from her husband is falling down around her ears, her bank account is empty and family duty means she's staying put.

The only thing keeping Stephanie Bailey sane are the rides she takes on their sprawling property, even if the earth is red and barren as far as her eye can see. Drought has forced the sale of almost all their cattle and her husband is getting more and more distant. The last thing she needs is the complications her brother-in-law brings.

Sydney girl Faith Montgomery is single, out of work and at the age of 31 has just discovered she is adopted. Furious at being lied to for her entire life, she lands a job at the Crossroads Hotel so she can track down her biological mother without revealing who she is. When Cameron Bailey walks into the bar his curious blend of country charm and city savvy has her falling hard.

What I Thought: Loved this - hooked from the beginning.

Book: The House on Burra Burra Lane

Summary: Just ten days after her fresh start in the isolated Snowy Mountains, Samantha Walker trips over a three hundred pound pig and lands in the arms of Dr. Ethan Granger — and the firing line for gossip. It was hardly a ‘date’ but sparks of the sensual kind are difficult to smother in a community of only 87 people. Now there’s a bet running on how long she’ll stay and what she’ll get up to while she’s in town.

Ethan has his own issues — Sammy’s presence in his childhood home brings with it painful recollections of family scandals and a bad boy youth. When the gossip around them heightens, his life is suddenly a deck of cards spread on the table for all to see. Then Sammy's past catches up with her... and it looks like all bets are off.




What I thought: This was ok. I really really struggled with the writing style. Will read the next one in the series to see if it is better as I have loved a different book of hers.

Book: When the snow gums dance

Summary: Set against the steamy tropical north of Papua New Guinea and Australia's Snowy Mountains, the winter playground of the mega-rich, is the story of Kylie Harris, a woman with a thirst for adventure. When glamour and fun turn to tragedy, Kylie is forced to reassess her life, and she chooses to help others. As an aid worker she falls in love with Danno O'Keefe, the man of her dreams and her soul mate. Not everyone, however, can be trusted, and happiness is an elusive gift. Tragedy returns and Kylie must rebuild her life in the face of enormous pain and loss. Heartbroken, Kylie is convinced she will never again love so deeply or so passionately.
She becomes determined, however, to move forward. But can she find the courage to let go of her past?


What I Thought: I enjoyed this one. Bit more of a saga over many years and split into parts with different characters etc. but enjoyable still.

Book: The Horseman

Summary: Craig Munroe is the kind of man legends are written about. It's been eleven years since Dr Peta Woodward, born into a horse-breeding dynasty, fled the family stud in the wake of a deadly tragedy that split her family apart. Carrying wounds that have never truly healed, Peta has focused on helping others. But when an injury during a solo trip through the Australian high country leaves her stranded, the man who comes to her rescue is Craig Munroe, a born and bred high-country horseman, and the kind of man legends are written about.

Stuck in the tiny town of Yarraman Falls while she recovers, Peta is surrounded by prying eyes and heartbreaking reminders of all she has lost. But while she resolves to leave as soon as she can, fate has other ideas . . .

What I Thought: Loved this one - hooked from the first page! I'd also been up this way at Chrsitmas so the area was fresh in my mind!

Bookgroup: Death Comes to Pemberley

Summary: In their six years of marriage, Elizabeth and Darcy have forged a peaceful, happy life for their family at Pemberley, Darcy’s impressive estate. Her father is a regular visitor; her sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; the marriage prospects for Darcy’s sister, Georgiana, are favorable. And preparations for their annual autumn ball are proceeding apace. But on the eve of the ball, chaos descends. Lydia Wickham, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister who, with her husband, has been barred from the estate, arrives in a hysterical state—shrieking that Wickham has been murdered.  Plunged into frightening mystery and a lurid murder trial, the lives of Pemberley’s owners and servants alike may never be the same.


What I thought: It was ok - nice to revisit characters and see how the future may lay for them.  Still a few loose ends that weren't tied up for me in this book though. Oh well!

Book: Runaway Lies

Summary:  Darcy Montgomery is on the run. She must hide until she can testify in a shocking court case involving her former employer, but so far the witness protection program has only brought more danger. Any hopes of keeping a low profile are dashed when she saves the two children of wealthy property developer, Dominic St. James, from a sinking car driven by his ex-wife.
Dominic St. James learns the car crash was no accident and his ex-wife is still missing, presumed dead. He is determined to keep his children, as well as their mysterious rescuer, safe until the threat is neutralised. Fighting his enemies and a growing attraction, he discovers that Darcy is much more than she seems.
The danger to Darcy, Dominic and his family grows as their security is eroded and they face not one but two adversaries who have deadly intent. Who ultimately can trust who?


What I Thought: Loved this one - saw it on the shelf at the library and I wasn't disappointed.

Book: The Family Secret

Summary: Kim Richards is a creative woman of the land, a rural ambassador who’s renowned for her contribution to her community. But deep down, she’s lonely. She’s already watched the man she loves falls for someone else, and her dream of starting her own family feels like it’s slipping through her fingers.

Enter Charlie McNamara, an older man who’s arrived in Lake Grace on business. Sparks fly between Kim and Charlie, but he seems to have a hidden agenda and a past life he’s trying to hide.

They’re both drawn to local hermit Harry, a Vietnam veteran who’s haunted by memories from the war. What ties these three lost souls together? Can they solve a long-held family mystery and heal fractures of the heart?

What I Thought: A nice easy read - liked the avenues it explored.